THE IMPORTED TOBACCO PRODUCTS ADVISORY COUNCIL (ITPAC)

Headquarters: Milland, United Kingdom

ITPAC is a trade association which represents the interests of 18 importers and distributors of tobacco products in the UK. The Association’s Core Members consist mainly of small and medium sized private companies and micro-businesses, most of whom employ less than 50 people. These companies focus on specialist, low volume, tobacco product ranges in particular including cigars, pipe tobacco and snuff.

Every year, taxes on tobacco products raise more than €100 billion for EU governments. Tobacco tax policy must be delicately balanced to safeguard government revenues, protect fair competition, jobs and public health, whilst also deterring trade in illegal tobacco. Tobacco smuggling and sales of illegal tobacco products threaten this income and society at large. The fight against illegally traded tobacco is part of a wider effort to protect EU citizens.

A successful implementation of Track & Trace will be of crucial importance, and requires workable standards that fit business and trading practices, making them likely to be internationally shared.

Read more about tobacco track & trace